The Sage Reborn
by swagosaurus
Summary: During the Second Stage of the Chunin exams, certain events awaken Naruto's bloodline limit; The famous Rinnegan. How does this change future events? Will Naruto be able to reunite the Bijuu and bring world peace? Naru/Saku, other pairings later on. Strong/Smart Naruto. Rated for language and implied mature themes. Read and Review! UP FOR ADOPTION.
1. Chapter 1

A/N Hey guys! This is yet another Naru/Saku I thought up. I realized that my other stories have been...well...shitty, to say the least. Tons of plot holes, my terrible writing ability, etc. But meh. I decided to make a fluffy/adventure Naru/Saku story for once. I can never do angst properly without pissing someone off.

Read n Review!

ENJOY! :D

-Chunin exams, Second Stage, Forest of Death-

Sakura was panicking. 'I must protect them...I won't be weak anymore!' She thought, her hand shaking with a kunai in her grip.

Three Sound-nin had come for Sasuke's life. Sakura didn't know why they wanted to kill him, but she assumed it had something to do with the strange Grass-nin that had attacked them earlier, and bit Sasuke. Naruto was also out cold, thanks to the seal the woman placed on him. 'I hope they'll be okay...that..._woman_...did something to both of them...'

Sakura was getting desperate. She had succeeded in knocking out the female Sound-nin, but the two males were too much for her. She clung to the desperate hope that someone, anyone would come save her. She accidentally dropped the kunai out of fear, and the two Sound-nin looked at her amused.

"Hey Dosu, let's have some fun with her before we kill her and her teammates, yeah?" Zaku said with a perverted grin. Sakura could only stare at them in horror. The mummified man grunted in agreement, and before she could do anything, Sakura was being pulled down to the ground. A foot planted itself in her back, and she yelled in pain.

She froze when one of the Sound-nin leaned down and whispered in her ear. "You gave us a lot of trouble. We're going to have fun, aren't we pinky?" He sneered as he licked her ear. Tears started streaming down her cheeks as she felt her shorts being pulled down. 'So this is it...I'm sorry Sasuke-kun...Naruto...' She felt a surge of emotion as she thought of the blonde idiot who worshiped the ground she walked on. An emotion she commonly associated with Sasuke. She started to cry harder as she waited for the true horror to pass.

Before she could be violated any longer, she heard the warm, golden voice of her blonde companion, laced in anger and rage.

"**Banshō Ten'in!" **Naruto yelled. Sakura's head snapped up when she felt the foot leave her back, and she saw the mummified man fly in Naruto's grip, held by his neck. She noticed immediately that his eyes were different. They were still the same bright blue, except his whole eye was now cerulean and it was rippled.

His eyes narrowed at Dosu, who was struggling to get out of his grip.

Naruto had awoken to the sounds of Sakura's screams, and when he saw what they were doing to her, he felt a new power that was coursing through his veins. He didn't know how or why, but he already had the instinct to use techniques he had never even heard of before.

Naruto shifted his gaze to the guy that was still straddling his Sakura-chan. He gave him a death glare which caused him to freeze.

"What the _fuck _do you think you're doing to her?" Naruto yelled, his voice filled with malice.

"What does it look like, blondie? After we kill you, we're going to give this pink-haired bitch what she deserves. A good, hard, fu-" Before he could finish his sentence, he was frozen in horror. An insane amount of killer intent washed over him, and he literally felt like he would die at any moment.

"You'll pay for even mentioning that..." Naruto said, as he turned his attention to the guy in his hand. He tightened his grip on his throat, blocking his airway, and placed his other palm on his stomach. He watched curiously as Dosu tried to squirm out of his hold.

Naruto smirked, and decided to end his life for trying to hurt Sakura. Everyone watched in horror as Naruto muttered two simple words.

"**Shinra Tensei.**" Naruto said, as a repelling force came out of his palm and hit Dosu in the stomach. Because of Naruto's grip on his throat, the force was too great, and Dosu's head was messily removed from the rest of his body. His corpse flew into a tree and broke through it. Blood sprayed all over Naruto, and he tossed the decapitated head to the side in disgust. He turned his attention to the Sound-nin on Sakura.

He looked into Sakura's emerald eyes and gave her a warm smile, a smile that melted her heart. She knew now she was safe, and would always be safe, as long as Naruto was around. Naruto glared at the boy, before calmly walking up and punching him in the face. The force of the blow knocked Zaku back, and Naruto felt his jaw crumble underneath his fist.

Naruto whipped out a kunai, focused his palm on the down sound-nin, and uttered "**Banshō Ten'in**" once again. To the horror of Zaku, he flew right into the path of Naruto's extended kunai, which dug itself deep into his throat. He stared into the eyes of his killer, the anger-filled rippled pattern burned into his memory, as he gurgled out blood. He died seconds after.

Naruto dropped the lifeless body of Zaku, and turned to their female companion who was waking up. Kin noticed that both her teammates were dead, and looked at Naruto in horror. She reached a hand down to her pouch. He nodded slowly, and she quickly tossed him her heaven scroll and ran off, thanking him for sparing her life.

Naruto stashed the scroll away, and looked at Sakura. He blushed and looked away when she started pulling up her shorts. She cleared her throat, and he looked back, nervously scratching his head.

"Are you...okay, Sakura-chan?" He asked, worried. She nodded slowly, before he pulled her into a tight hug. Tears started falling down his face, and onto her shoulder.

"I-I'm so sorry you had to see me like that, S-sakura-chan...when I w-woke up, and h-heard you s-scream, I p-panicked...and w-when I saw what t-they were trying to d-do to you...I snapped..." Naruto choked out, holding her tighter. She started to cry too.

"T-thank you Naruto..." She whispered, as the two held each other. 'I feel so warm...so safe...with Naruto, of all people...' She mused. Though both were curious about Naruto's new found power, they both laid underneath a tree and fell into a deep slumber within each others arms. Unknown to the two, Team 10 had seen the whole event unfold from the bushes.

"Well that was..." Shikamaru started, not really knowing what to make of the whole situation. Ino decided to fill in.

"Troublesome." She stated. Shikamaru had no objections to that, and Team Ten went on their way, leaving an exhausted Team 7 in peace.

A few hours later, Naruto awoke with a start. He opened his eyes, and was still shocked at how his vision had improved with his new, mysterious powers. He noticed something warm on his chest, and looked down to see a mass of pink hair. Naruto blushed deeply and smiled. 'She fell asleep on me..'. He pushed a strand of hair out of her face, which caused her to stir.

Sakura's emerald eyes slowly flapped open, to see rippled cerulean's staring back at her. She smiled warmly before snuggling into her savior. Naruto blushed even more at the contact, but smiled. 'This is nice...' They laid there for a while, before Naruto remembered they were in an exam.

"Sakura-chan...we should see if Sasuke-teme is alright and get going...we have both scrolls now, so we can head to the tower..." Naruto whispered. She nodded and pushed her self off the blonde, offering him a hand. He took it, and she helped him up. They walked over to Sasuke, and Naruto knelt down next to him.

"What a day..." He mused. Sakura nodded slowly in agreement. Naruto closed his eyes and sighed. The memories of a few hours ago ran across his mind. He felt bad for killing those two, purely because he didn't _feel _ guilty for killing them. He wondered if he really was a monster.

"Sakura-chan...am I...am I a bad person for not feeling remorse for killing those guys?" Naruto asked, meeting her gaze. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"No, Naruto. Not at all. You saved me...if you didn't do that..." She shuddered at the thought. Naruto returned the squeeze. They sat there in comfortable silence, before Sakura spoke up.

"Naruto...have you seen your eyes?" Naruto cocked his head. "What do you mean?" He asked.

She fumbled around in her pouch, before pulling out a mirror. "Look at them. They're...different." Naruto complied, and looked into the mirror. He gasped when he saw that his eyes were no longer blue seas surrounded by white, but instead were pure cerulean pools rippling from his pupil. Naruto handed back the mirror.

"I...I don't know why, but I think these eyes are some kind of power I awakened..." Naruto thought out loud. Sakura nodded.

"I have the power to repel and attract anything...but I feel as if that's only the tip of the ice berg..I'm going to have to talk to Kakashi-sensei about this."

"Yeah. Let's wake Sasuke-kun up, and then head to the tower." Naruto smiled, and did the only thing he could do. He screamed into the Uchiha's ear.

"TEME! WAKE UP!" Sakura giggled at his antics, which caused Naruto to snap his head up in shock. Usually she would yell at him for doing anything to remotely Naruto-like to Sasuke.

Said Uchiha woke up slowly. He groan as he sat up, supported by his two teammates. "What happened?" He breathed out. He hissed and held his shoulder in pain.

"You've been out cold for a day, Sasuke-kun. That...thing bit your shoulder, and you've had a fever...then, some Sound-nin...attacked us, but Naruto killed them." Sasuke shot up and looked at the blonde. He was covered in dried blood that looked like it didn't belong to him.

Sasuke then noticed his eyes. "Dobe, what happened to your eyes?" Sasuke asked in pain. Naruto shrugged. "I don't know...I think a mixture of what the snake-lady did to me and certain...events," he said, looking to Sakura who gave him another smile. His heart skipped a beat. "awakened something within me. I think it might be my kekkai-genkai." Sasuke's eyes widened. 'The dobe has a bloodline limit? Is that the power he used earlier?'

"Anyways, we need to get going to the tower. Can you walk, teme?" Naruto asked. Sasuke scoffed and stood up, but stumbled into the blonde. He support him, and the trio made their way to the tower.

Once inside, they entered a room with the Heaven and Earth poem. "Do we open the scrolls now?" Naruto asked, pulling both of them out. His teammates nodded.

He handed the heaven scroll to Sakura, and the two opened the scrolls at the same time. A plume of smoke appeared, revealing Iruka.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto greeted. Iruka smiled at Naruto but faltered at the sight of the blood and his changed eyes.

"Naruto...what happened to you?" Naruto shrugged and shook his head. "I'm not sure. I think...I awakened my kekkai-genkai during the exam." Naruto stated. Iruka's eyes widened. 'Naruto...you certainly are the Number One most unpredictable ninja..'

"Very well...I will inform Kakashi. He'll be here shortly with the Hokage. Congratulations on passing, you three!" He finished with a smile, before poofing away.

The three lounged for a few hours before in silence, when finally, Hiruzen and Kakashi poofed into the room.

Kakashi eye-smiled at his students, but instantly went agape when he saw Naruto's appearance, mainly his eyes. The Hokage's pipe fell out of his mouth, hitting the ground in a low thunk.

"H-hokage-sama, is that..." Kakashi said in utter disbelief. The elder Sarutobi nodded.

"That's the Rinnegan."

A/N So how was it? Bad? Good? Meh? Let me know, and give me some tips for writing/anything you want to see in the story. I'd appreciate it!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N fuck you jackseaweedjackson. That is all. Oh, and sorry for taking so long. I hit a massive writers block; I couldn't write _anything_.

I'm getting into the writing groove again, so hopefully this wasn't too short/I can release another chapter shortly.

Enjoy!

"The Rinnegan?" Naruto asked. 'I've heard of that before...but where?' He mused.

"Yes, Naruto, the Rinnegan. I can't believe you have it...it should be impossible..." Hiruzen stated. The short genin cocked his head.

"What do you mean?" He said, confused.

"Naruto...the Rinnegan was the dojutsu only the mythical Sage of the Six Paths had..." Hiruzen spoke in disbelief. All three genin's eyes widened. Sasuke glared at the blonde. 'The dobe...where did he get this power?'

Sakura was dumb struck. 'The Sage of the Six Paths? How...Naruto, how do you have this? Just who are you?'

Naruto was completely stricken.

"Wow..." Naruto and Sakura breathed.

"Naruto..how did you activate it? And what powers have you used?" Kakashi asked him, his one eye wide open in shock. Naruto looked down.

"In the forest...these Sound-nin attacked us, looking for the teme I think...I woke up when I heard Sakura-chan scream..." Naruto was shaking with his fists clenched. The older men were listening to the story, still flabbergasted.

"Then...I saw her there...with the guys trying to..._rape her_..." He continued. Kakashi and the Hokage gasped. Naruto looked up, his eyes blazing in fury.

"I snapped. Seeing her...like that...I don't know how I knew or why, but I felt this power and I used it. I was able to repel and attract anything. And...I killed them..."

Kakashi was floored. 'Naruto...you killed someone...?'

"And the most fucked up thing...is that I don't feel bad for it at all..." Naruto said, dropping his gaze to the floor. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up in surprise. Kakashi was looking down at him with an eye-smile.

"Naruto, no one says you should. You did the right thing. Of course, killing isn't a good thing...but you did alright. Protecting your comrades is the most important thing you can do." He said, ruffling his hair. Naruto lightly smiled.

"Naruto..can you show us this power?" The blonde nodded slowly.

"Kakashi, I'm going to pull you to me. You ready?" The jounin gave him a thumbs up, not really prepared.

Naruto's eyes flashed, and everyone stood stunned at what Naruto did next. "**Banshō Ten'in****!**" He yelled, and some sort of forced yanked Kakashi from the floor and into Naruto's hand. The jounin stared at the boy, not knowing what to say.

Naruto grinned. "And I can also repel stuff...though, it's dangerous at close range...I decapitated one of the Sound-nin with it..." Naruto said, looking sad again. The memories were still fresh in his mind. Sasuke looked at him in shock.

'Jesus, dobe...I never knew you could be so...ruthless...' Sasuke then glanced at Sakura, who was staring at Naruto. Sasuke smirked.

'You really should give up on me Sakura...the dobe cares about you...Is this how Naruto is getting so strong? Because of...her? His bonds?' Sasuke mused. Something about that thought comforted him.

The Hokage then ruffled his hair. "Good job, Naruto. You have awakened a gift, and I know you will use it well. To protect your friends and loved ones." Naruto blushed at the last part, which didn't go unnoticed by the pink-haired girl. 'Naruto...just how much do you care about me?' She thought, bewildered by her blonde teammate's devotion.

"Old man, Kakashi. I have a theory on my eyes. I think...my powers will just come with instinct. Is there any information on what the Rinnegan can do?" Naruto finished.

The old man, pipe once again in his mouth, thought back to all the stories and myths on the fabled Sage.

"Naruto, if the stories are to be believed, the Sage was the father of all jutsu. His eyes allowed him to master all of the five elements, create jutsu, and even control tailed beasts." Naruto flinched at that last part. 'Kyuubi...'

"The Sage, as the stories were told, had also destroyed the Jubi. He sealed it's body within the moon, and split it into 9 forms. The 9 tailed beasts." The Hokage concluded.

Naruto gasped, and held his stomach where the seal was. His two teammates looked at him with interest. He looked at them and sighed. He glanced at the Hokage, who nodded.

"Well, it's time for the preliminaries. Go meet with the other genin...good luck." The Hokage said.

Naruto sighed as they were dismissed. They hurried into the large chamber for the preliminaries. All of the Rookie 9 were there, along with Gai's team, the Sand team and Sound team. The Hokage began talking about why they were there, and what the point of the exams was; a substitute for war, and to limit the amount of chunin a country has.

After the Hokage's speech ended, a sickly man appeared.

"I'll take it -cough- from here, Hokage-sama." The man said. The old man nodded once.

"Very well. My name is Hayate Gekko. I will be the proctor for the -cough- third exam. But, first, there will be preliminaries held. There are too many -cough- passing teams, so we'll be cutting that number in half." The sickly man wheezed out.

"Now..if you would please go up to the balconies, we will begin." Hayate said. The Konoha 12 were all on the balcony, chatting away with each other. Naruto sighed, and leaned over the edge as the names lit up.

_Kiba Inuzuka_

_VS  
_

_Rock Lee  
_

Naruto stretched his fingers. He could feel the power his new eyes were granting him. His peripheral vision was greatly improved, he could see much farther and could detect even the slightest movement.

In his mind, he was brainstorming strategies and combat maneuvers that mixed the Rinnegan's powers with his Shadow Clones.

Naruto still felt a stinging on his stomach from where Orochimaru placed on his stomach. He looked around, and noticed no one was looking at him. He lifted up his jacket and shirt, holding them up with his teeth, and used his eyes to generate some chakra in his finger tips. His abdomen revealed his seal; the one that housed the Kyuubi.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Naruto's head snapped up to see Kakashi stashing his book away, giving him a strange look.

"In the forest...some snake guy placed something on my seal...the one holding my, er, 'roommate'." Naruto said. Kakashi nodded.

"I'm removing it; it's cutting off my chakra flow and it's burning a bit." Naruto said, before thrusting his fingertips onto the five unwanted markings. It started to burn even more. Naruto squeezed his rippled eyes shut, grunting, and twisted. He sighed when he felt the foreign seal dissipate after a few seconds.

"Naruto...how did you learn to do that?" The copy-nin asked. Naruto shrugged and scratched the back of his head, smiling slightly.

"Part of my new powers, I guess." In reality, Naruto had _no idea _how he did that. Seals were supposedly very complicated and tricky to master; removing one seemed like it would take years to perfect, let alone one placed by someone of the caliber of the ninja they faced in the forest. The snake-like man seemed like his was a high-jounin level shinobi.

Naruto turned back to watch the match. Kiba was severely outclassed by Lee's taijtusu; the green clad hand-to-hand specialist was simply too fast and too powerful for him to handle. Akamaru laid in a heap on the ground, knocked out.

"I suggest you give up, Kiba-san! It will not make you any less youthful if you do!" Lee said, snapped his foot at Kiba, connecting with his gut. Kiba coughed up blood, landing on the ground a few meters away.

"Heh...you spandex wearing freak! I'll never gi..." Kiba trailed off, before passing out. Lee smiled brightly.

"YES LEE! WAY TO SHOW EVERYONE THE POWER OF YOUTH!" A man, identical to Rock Lee in everyway, yelled from the balcony. Naruto cringed at their appearances. 'That Gai-sensei sure is...unique.'

"Winner, Rock Lee!" Hayate yelled. The present shinobi clapped and cheered. Lee gave the nice-guy pose, his teeth glinting, before rushing up to his team, embracing his sensei.

Naruto walked over to his team. Sakura looked at him and smiled brightly. Naruto blinked, clearly confused at her clear joy in seeing him. Noticing his confusion, she giggled, causing the males of Team 7 to look at her in shock.

"You never were too bright, were you, Naruto?" She said affectionately, once again confusing, and hurting, the blonde.

"That's too much, Sakura-chan..." Naruto said, pouting, before grinning. Kakashi smiled at his two genin, while Sasuke rolled his eyes with a slight smirk.

The names rolled up on the screen again. When they stopped, everyone gasped.

_Naruto Uzumaki_

_VS  
_

_Gaara  
_

"Would these contestants please come down now?"

Naruto frowned. 'This was that creepy guy from before...but something about him seemed familiar...'

"Good luck, dobe. You'll need it." Sasuke said, smirking. Naruto gave him a glare before grinning. Kakashi ruffled his hair.

"Go get 'em, Naruto." The masked man said. 'Do your father proud, Naruto.'

"Good luck, Naruto!" Sakura said cheerfully. Naruto blushed a bit, but nodded. He made to hop over the rail, but a small voice stopped him.

"N-naruto-kun..." Naruto looked behind him to see Hinata Hyuuga, blushing, refusing to meet his gaze, poking her fingers together.

"Hinata, right? What's up?"

"N-naruto-kun, y-you should forfeit...t-that guy is t-too strong! H-he'll kill you!" She squeaked out. Sakura laughed.

"Hinata-san, don't worry. Naruto will be fine. Right Naruto?" Naruto nodded, grinning, giving the Hyuuga and Sakura a thumbs up. Hinata looked up, and gasped when she saw Naruto's eyes.

"N-naruto-kun! What h-happened to your e-eyes!?" She breathed. 'They're so...mesmerizing..' The shy girl thought. Naruto shrugged.

"Bloodline limit?" He said cheekily, before giving his team a two fingered salute and jumping over the railing.

Team 10 watched the whole thing with interest.

"Naruto should just give up. I mean, he's the dobe! That kid with the gourd is going to wipe the floor with him!" Ino Yamanaka said. Chouji paid no mind to the conversation, inhaling his potato chips at a frightening rate, while Shikamaru and Asuma scoffed.

"I have a feeling, after what we witnessed in the forest, Naruto is now on a completely new level." Shikamaru said lazily. Asuma nodded.

"If what the Hokage mentioned to us jounin, before this test began, is true...then Naruto is beyond all of us now. Even Sasuke." Asuma said. Ino grunted and flipped her hair.

"Oh, please! No one can best Sasuke-kun! _Especially _Naruto." All three males of Team 10 rolled their eyes, and gave their complete attention to the match that was about to start.

"Sensei, you think Naruto can beat him?" Sasuke asked, leaning against the wall. Kakashi eyed his student, before his eye crinkled with amusement.

"No doubt. If anything, at the very least, they will be evenly matched." He said with pride.

Sakura remained silent, and stood there, leaning over the railing supported by her elbows with her head resting on her palms. She watched the blonde with admiration. 'Naruto...you saved me from an unimaginable fate. You'll do great. Show everyone how far you've come.' She thought with a soft smile.

"Are you two ready to begin?" The proctor said. The two nodded.

"Very well. Begin!" Hayate yelled, before jumping back to the Hokage.

Naruto hopped backwards, throwing a few kunai at Gaara. A wall of sand came out of his gourd, blocking the weapons from getting near him. Naruto frowned.

'It seems as if the sand protects him. An absolute defense?'

Naruto quickly made a few shadow clones, shocking his old classmates, who didn't have any idea what his abilities were, and sent them after Gaara. The redhead merely stood there, arms crossed, as his sand dealt with the clones. A clone was impaled by a pillar of sand, and another was covered and promptly crushed.

A clone somehow got behind Gaara and went for a punch, but it was blocked by the sand.

All ninja spectating watched Naruto with interest. This was Naruto, the dobe, a failure of three years, going head to head with one of the most powerful genin from the sand; a boy who has never even gotten a scratch on a mission.

Naruto kept sending clone after clone, trying to find a weakness in the sand user's defense. He couldn't find one. He avoided a blast of sand coming his way, which infuriated Gaara that his prey was effectively toying with him.

"Enough of this! Mother demands your blood, Uzumaki!" Gaara said, launching his sand fully at Naruto. Naruto was in the middle of the air, so he couldn't dodge.

"Shit!" Naruto yelled as the sand began to cover his body, crawling up his leg.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed. 'This is it...Naruto...' She thought, with tears in her eyes. Hinata was taking it equally as well; she was sobbing a little.

They all watched, wide-eyed, as the sand completely covered Naruto. But Naruto wasn't going to die; not here.

"**Sabaku Sōsō!**" "**Shinra Tensei!**" The boys yelled at the same time. The sand that covered Naruto exploded with extreme force, and landed all over the arena, some hitting the spectators. Naruto flipped and landed on the ground. Gaara and his sibling's were agape. No one had ever escaped the sand like that before.

Naruto winced; the sand cut into him a little bit, and his skin burned.

"Whoa...Naruto is a badass..." Chouji muttered. Ino nodded dumbly.

Naruto's eyes were flaring.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to use my eyes, but I guess not." Naruto said, holding out his hand. The Konoha 11 then noticed, finally, that his eyes were indeed different. They were rippled, and no white was visible.

Naruto pushed some chakra to his hand; an excessive amount. "**Banshō Ten'in!**" He yelled, and a force yanked Gaara from the ground, and he flew toward Naruto. The blonde had a few clones on standby, and Gaara was traveling too fast for his sand to protect him.

A clone launched forward and kicked Gaara in the jaw, another clone got behind him and put him in a head lock. The one that kicked Gaara was focusing it's chakra, and repelling the sand from helping the redhaired jinchuuriki. The real Naruto ran up and started to punch him in the face.

The room was silent, save for the sounds of the massive beating Gaara was getting from Naruto. Temari, Baki and Kankurou were stunned, as no one has ever gotten this many hits on Gaara, let alone _any_.

Naruto thought of an idea, and gathered some chakra in his fist. He then punched Gaara in the jaw, releasing the chakra on impact. This resulted in the force of the blow increasing ten fold, creating a sickening crack as the sand-nin's jaw fractured. He screamed in pain.

Hiruzen smiled a little. 'A primitive version of Tsunade's technique; impressive, Naruto. You've come a long way since your genin days.'

"Just give up already! You can't win!" Naruto yelled as he continued to kick, punch and elbow his opponent.

Gaara's eyes suddenly flashed to yellow, and half of his body somehow transformed. He effortlessly destroyed the clones that were attacking him and holding him. His right arm was extremely morphed and disfigured, giving the image of a large, burly claw.

"Gaara! Control yourself!" Baki yelled. Gaara was panting, a crazed grin on his face. Naruto exhaled loudly.

_**"I will prove my existence by your death, Uzumaki! I will destroy you**_** completely!**_**"**_The transformed-Gaara yelled, his voice now influenced by something...evil. Naruto's eyes widened, and realization set in. Why Gaara was so familiar; the way his voice was augmented; his transformation..:

He had a demon sealed within him too. A very murderous one, at that.

The redheaded jinchuuriki extended his arm, launching it at Naruto, but he dodged. Acting on instinct, Naruto's eyes flared and he ran through hand signs at a blinding speed. His friends gasped when he did them faster than they could see; Kakashi had to activate his sharingan to read them. He'd never seen a jutsu like this before.

Naruto finished the signs, and held both his hands out. The Hokage's eyes widened when chains came out of his hands. 'He's unlocked a new power...impressive!'

"What the hell are _those_?" Sasuke asked, absolutely befuddled by Naruto's fighting ability. 'Gravity manipulation, forming these chains out of nothing, the shadow clone strategies...the dobe really isn't a dobe anymore. I...need to get stronger.'

The chains shot out, and after arriving at their destination, wrapped around Gaara. He screamed in pain as the chains bound him; his skin cracked, as if he was wearing a layer of armor. Naruto used his jutsu to pull Gaara to him, and glared into his eyes.

He didn't know how he did it, but he entered Gaara's mind. He was faced with a cage, that had a seal on it. Inside was a giant raccoon-like demon that literally reeked of blood lust and insanity.

_**"Who dares disturb me? You puny human...wait...your eyes! How did you get those**_** eyes?!**_**" **_Shukaku screamed in panic. Naruto glared.

"I'm a direct descendant of the Sage of the Six Paths. Shukaku, the one tailed demon." Naruto spoke.

"You have made Gaara insane. He is nothing but a killing machine. I ask that you stop being a pest and doing that to him, and instead help him. I don't want to force you; but technically, I _am _your superior. I hold the Kyuubi within me, and these eyes can make you do my bidding, but, I mean you no harm." Naruto said calmly.

_**"The Kyuubi?! That old fox...I hate him!"**_The demon sneered. Suddenly, Gaara appeared in front of his own cage, completely normal. He took notice of the demon who has plagued him his whole life, and also saw his blonde opponent. His eyes widened.

"How are you in here?" Gaara asked calmly. Naruto looked to him, and then pointed to his eyes.

"My eyes can allow me to control demons, such as your Shukaku here. I'm trying to convince him to stop making you insane. I, too, hold a demon Gaara; we are the same." Naruto said, frowning a bit. Gaara allowed him to continue.

"I feel bad for you, Gaara. Your siblings fear you; you don't have any friends or loved ones. I was like that too; until I met the Hokage, Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan and Sasuke. I learned about bonds, and the strength they give you. But...I'll be your friend, Gaara!" Naruto said, grinning wildly. Gaara frowned.

"My only bonds are to myself. I only love myself."

"No, Gaara. Do you know how I'm beating you; how I'm so strong? It's because I have people I want to protect."

"People...to protect...?" Gaara said, dumbstruck. Naruto nodded, still smiling.

"Let's be friends, Gaara. You don't have to be alone." Naruto said, extending his hand. Gaara frowned even more, looking at the offered hand. 'So...Uzumaki is this strong, not because he fights for himself, but instead fights for others. Friends, loved ones, comrades...I...I understand now...'

Gaara slowly took the hand, and shook it, staring impassively at the grinning whiskered face in front of him.

"Friends..." Gaara said quietly.

"Friends."

Gaara then remembered something troubling.

"Uzumaki...I must warn you. We...my team, I mean...we're not here on friendly terms. We are here to instigate a war between Konoha and Suna, backed by the Sound." Gaara said sadly. He had actually made a friend, but his _father _intended to destroy this village.

Naruto frowned, but didn't start screaming. "That's alright. We'll work it out; I don't doubt for a second, now, that you would allow something like this to happen. Neither would I. We protect our friends, right?" Naruto said smiling. Gaara nodded.

"And _you_...leave Gaara alone. If you were to, I don't know, _work_ with him, then you two would be much more powerful. I don't know what happened to you and the Kyuubi, but...help him. I don't want to hurt you." Naruto said, glaring at the bijuu in the room.

Shukaku glared at the blonde boy, but then...smiled? 'So...the old man has been reborn, as this runt. I can see it clearly now; he will go far. Very well, Gaara. I won't hinder you any longer.'

_**"Fine, boy. Give my **_**regards _to the damned_** **fox."** Shukaku said, before Naruto was kicked out of Gaara's mindscape.

Naruto opened his eyes at the same time as Gaara. Gaara smiled a little, and Naruto grinned; the boy's actions confused the hell out of everyone.

Naruto released the chains, causing Gaara to fall to his knees, sighing in relief.

"Proctor...I forfeit." Gaara said simply. The room erupted into cheers and applause; Gaara's team had their jaws scraping the floor. 'Not only did Gaara lose, but he cancelled his transformation _and_ smiled? What the hell did that boy do?' Baki thought with a frown.

Naruto pulled Gaara up and the two shook hands once again. Naruto was glowing; he made a new friend, and Gaara wouldn't have to be alone anymore. He knew the pain of loneliness all too well.

"Very well...winner, Naruto Uzumaki!"


	3. Chapter 3

Naruto grinned and pumped his fist in the air. Everyone in the arena was silent after the proctor called the winner.

"Haha!" Naruto laughed, jogging up the stairs. His clothes were in tatters; the jacket was ripped off, leaving a torn, bloody and sweaty t-shirt and his orange pants. His Rinnegan eyes were twinkling with joy. He finally got up to the balcony, and noticed everyone staring at him, shocked. He ignored their stares and took his place by his team, smiling widely.

The rest of the exams went by quickly. Ino and Sakura faced off, and Sakura won by a combination of clever traps, Naruto's cheering to kick Ino out of her mind, and a simple use of the bunshin no jutsu. Kiba and Lee fought each other, but the Green Beast of Konoha was too much for the Inuzuka, and he fell quickly, outmastered in taijutsu by a large margin.

Sasuke faced and easily beat a genin from Kabuto's squad. It was a steamroll victory; it almost seemed as if he threw it.

Chouji ended up fighting Shino, and after a long, gruesome match, the Aburame came on top. The Akimichi was taken to the hospital for chakra exhaustion.

Shikamaru fought the puppet master Kankurou, and using an ingenious strategy of using the faint lines of Kankurou's chakra threads to spread his shadow, won by forfeit.

Tenten had fought the girl of the Sand team, Temari. The wind-user's fan was an extremely effective counter to Tenten's weaponry, and Temari won by knockout.

The final match was one of Hinata Hyuuga vs. her cousin, Neji. The two fought brutally, and it ended with Neji attempting to kill Hinata, though he was stopped by the jounin sensei.

The old Hokage, Hiruzen, then announced to the passing genin that the final round of the exams would be taking place in one month, and that they would have that time to train for the upcoming matches. He then gave everyone slips of paper, from which the matchups were made.

A chart came up on the board.

_Naruto Uzumaki vs Neji Hyuuga_

_Shikamaru Nara vs Sasuke Uchiha_

_Neji Hyuuga vs Shino Aburame_

_Temari vs Sakura Haruno_

Everyone looked at the board with grins. They were dismissed. As Team 7 was leaving, the Hokage stopped them. His face was somber.

"Naruto-kun, I have...some news to share with you. It's in regards to your heritage. Would you like your team to join us?"

Naruto paled, and glanced at his teammates. They looked at him carefully, frowning. "I'll...tell you guys later. I...want to be alone for this." Naruto said slowly. They understood. He then turned and nodded to the Hokage. The group then left the building, and headed towards the Hokage tower.

The arrived, and walked through the doors to the council chambers, where the shinobi and civilian leaders were sitting. The elders were there also, with the exception of Danzou.

"What is the meaning of this Hiruzen? And why is..._he _here?" Koharu asked, glaring at Naruto. Homura nodded nodded in agreement, staring at the group skeptically.

"I've decided, that with the awakening of Naruto Uzumaki's bloodline limit, he should be informed of his heritage." The old 'Professor' stated. The council erupted into arguments against it, but a raised hand from Hiruzen silenced them, along with a stern glare.

"Naruto has one of the most powerful, if not the _most _powerful, dojutsu known in the shinobi world." He said. It was then the council got a good look into his eyes, and they all gasped.

Shikaku Nara spoke up. He was fond of the Uzumaki; he didn't see him as the demon anymore than the Kyuubi was seen as a human.

"That's...the Rinnegan. Good gods..." He said quietly. The Hokage nodded, and the council was silent. The shinobi clan heads were all at rapt attention, along with the genin of Team 7. The civilians, however, were having a harder time processing the information, but none dared to speak.

Hiruzen turned to Naruto, and his sensei followed suit, glancing back and forth between the two.

"Naruto, you are...the son of Minato Namikaze, or the Fourth Hokage, Konoha's 'Yellow Flash', and Kushina Uzumaki." Hiruzen stated carefully, gauging the boy's reaction.

Naruto's eyes widened. He then fell back into his chair, his head reeling.

He was filled with questions. Why did he seal the Kyuubi into him? Why does he have the Rinnegan, if no records of it existed before him? Why didn't anyone _tell _him?

The civilian council then started to yell, saying that it was impossible for the 'demon' to be the son of their hero. Naruto frowned, and Kakashi gripped his shoulder reassuringly. He smiled at him, tears in his rippled eyes, but didn't shed them.

"Impossible! The demon brat is the son of Minato?!" Hiashi Hyuuga yelled, absolutely appalled. The civilian leaders agreed, saying similar things, while the Yamanaka, Nara, and other shinobi leaders remained quiet, a feeling of guilt washing over them.

Inoichi was furious. At the council, at Minato, but mostly, at himself. _I never gave the poor boy the time of day, even when I would see him on the streets, alone and starving._

The old man then sighed. "Naruto, you are rightfully entitled to the Namikaze estate that your father lived in, along with his personal library. I suggest you use those resources to train for the finals." He said, while the two elders at the front were discussing seriously.

It was then the elders spoke up. "Hiruzen, we have a...proposition for the boy." Homaru said. They all looked at them warily.

"By section 72, part B of Konoha's clan and family laws, Naruto Namikaze-Uzumaki, we are putting you in the CRA, or Clan Restoration Act. You, being the acting heir of two significant clans, it's strongly recommended you have a large number of heirs to rebuild. It will increase both your influence, as well as Konoha's." Koharu said.

Naruto paled. "Uh...what's the CRA?" He asked.

The old Hokage frowned. "Naruto...the CRA is a policy...for rebuilding a clan...and it requires you to have three or more wives to reproduce with. In this case, since it's two clans, that..doubles the amount of mothers."

Naruto choked on his spit. He stared, wide-eyed at the Hokage. "What?! No! That's fucking _sick_! I'm not going to be some baby making machine!" Naruto yelled, standing up. He was glaring at the elders, his rippled eyes flaring. They gulped.

Koharu shakily replied. "N-naruto, unless you're already m-married by the time you're 13, you'll be...forced into the program." He said, his voice cracking. He was scared of the 'demon child' terribly.

The council as a whole were floored.

As if a switch was flipped, the civilian leaders instantly piped up.

"N-naruto-san! My daughter, Ami, would be perfect for you! She's kind, wise, beautifu-" "Namikaze-san! My daughter Akari is superior to all! She's a genin, like you-"

The crowded around him, pushing away his sensei, and battered him with marriage offerings. Naruto, losing his patience, outstretched his arms.

"**Shinra Tensei!**" He yelled, and all of the civilians went flying in different directions. The elders, along with the shinobi clan leaders, gawked at his powers.

He slammed his hands on the table, glaring at them. "My 13th birthday is a day after the finals. I'm _not _going to be some breeding mate for you guys. I'll find some way out of this...and _you_." He said, casting his gaze on all of the civilians.

"You make my life a living hell, you beat me, berate me, and shun my existence, and as soon as the _demon child _becomes the heir of two clans, you instantly start kissing my ass? Fuck off. I wouldn't marry any of your despicable daughters, even if they were the most beautiful in Konoha. I'm leaving. Thanks for telling me about my parents, old man. I'll see you around." He said, before he stormed out of the building.

The only civilian that hadn't said a word was Kizashi Haruno, who frowned at his peers. _What a bunch of idiots. _

* * *

He growled as he got to the training grounds, and instantly started taking his frustration out on the thousand clones he summoned.

As he kicked, punched and repelled them using his dojutsu, his mind was reeling. _How dare they do this? My father, the Fourth. My mother, Kushina. They hid that from me? And they expect me to just up and fuck their daughters, marrying into their clans so they can reap the rewards? I don't think so..._

After an hour of sparring, he **Shinra Tensei'd **the last clone into a tree, destroying it. He fell back against the post, running a hand through his sweaty hair.

A familiar chakra signature approached. Naruto looked up to see his sensei approacing.

He crouched down next to Naruto. "You alright?" He said carefully. Naruto sighed and nodded.

"I have..until my birthday to get married or whatever. For fucks sake, I'm _twelve_. They can't do this to me..." He said, palming his face.

Kakashi frowned. _He's right. What the hell are they thinking? It's not like the Namikaze or the Uzumaki have kekkai genkai. They only want more power to go to the council. That kind of wealth and prestige...  
_

"Naruto...you know, most guys would kill to have women thrown at them like this. Six wives? Come on, that's awesome!" Kakashi said, trying to lighten the mood.

It didn't work.

"Sensei, I don't _want _that many wives. Two is too many. Honestly, this is fucking wrong." The Rinnegan user said, sighing.

"Come on, let's get you up. I'll buy you some ramen." Kakashi said. He nodded reluctantly.

Naruto's thoughts drifted back to the only girl that he would ever want to marry, and he frowned. _Sakura-chan._

His rippled eyes scanned the village. The crowds were bustling in front of the Hokage tower. Naruto instantly knew why. He pinched the bridge of his nose, clenching his eyes shut.

An ANBU appeared in front of the two members of Team-7.

"Er...Namikaze-san. The Hokage requests your presence at the tower. He wishes to reveal your heritage to the populace." The Bear masked shinobi said. Naruto smiled a little at him; this was the captain of the ANBU squad that was assigned by the old man to watch over him as a child. They were always kind to him, even though their rules and regulations didn't allow them to show emotion.

"Alright, I guess." He said, before Kakashi gripped his shoulder and the three shunshined to the top of the Hokage's office.

They appeared on next to Hiruzen and the two elders.

"Hey, Naruto." The Hokage said, frowning a bit. It was clear to the two members of Team 7 he wasn't pleased by recent events.

"Hey, old man." Naruto said, walking over to him. The elder Sarutobi held a folded piece of clothing, and he handed it to Naruto.

"That was your father's. I believe it's yours now." The Hokage said, smiling. Naruto felt a small smile tug on his face, and he grabbed the cloak, his hands trembling mildly.

He ran a thumb over the kanji for 'Fourth'. He unraveled the cloak, and threw it on. He tight the rope at the front. For some strange reason, wearing the coat felt _right _for Naruto. He felt as though he was made to wear it.

The crowd began bustling at the front of the tower, awaiting the reason for why the Hokage would make an urgent announcement.

"Villagers of Konoha! It's high time I reveal one of our villages most valued secrets, and reveal the heritage of one Naruto Uzumaki!" He yelled.

Naruto saw the villagers scowl in disgust. _Oh boy. I wonder how they're going to react to this. Probably try to throw their daughters at me...literally._

The blonde saw all of the rookies at the front of the crowd. They all looked at him pensively. He merely grinned at them, and seeing Sakura, shot her a wave, which she returned.

He eyed the carefully when the Hokage spoke next. "12 years ago, the Kyuubi attacked Konoha! You were all told that the Fourth slayed the demon, at the cost of his own life. But this is not the truth. The demon was sealed, _sealed_," He emphasized seriously. "Into an infant boy. That boy is Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto saw everyone in the rookies pale, and stare at Naruto wide-eyed.

Sakura felt tears come to her eyes. _That's why all of the villagers hate him? Look at them! It's like they don't even think he's human, as if he IS the Kyuubi!_

The villagers began yelling, some of the more provocative one's demanding the 'demon's death'. Naruto scowled at them.

A raise of the Hokage's hand silenced the crowd. "But that's not all. Naruto is not only the Kyuubi's container; a hero of the village! He is also the _son _of a hero! Naruto is the son of Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, and his wife Kushina Uzumaki!" He yelled.

The villagers were in awe. No one dared to protest against it. Most jounin knew; and the resemblance between the two was uncanny.

"Naruto, would you like to say anything?" The Hokage whispered. Naruto nodded, and stepped forward, his father's cloak swaying in the wind. He glared at the villagers below him.

"Hello, Konoha! My, isn't this a fantastic day!" Naruto remarked sarcastically.

A villager stepped forward. "N-namikaze-sama, w-we didn't know!"

"Shut up! I knew this would happen! For 12 years, _twelve fucking years_, I had to deal with you! It was only until last year when the assaults stopped! You beat me, belittled me, shunned me and hated me for something that wasn't even true! I'm not the fucking demon!" He screamed, his eyes flaring.

His friends exchanged glances. "I didn't know his life was so hard..." Ino remarked, frowning. She got a murmur of agreement, even from the stoic Sasuke and Shino.

"I can't believe this! You hate me for all this time, but as soon as I suddenly become an actual fucking _person _in your eyes, you kiss my ass!"

A group of villagers ran forward, screaming. "You're not the son of the Fourth, demon! Die!" They yelled, before throwing an uncountable amount of kunai and shuriken.

Surprising everyone, Naruto merely held his hand out, his eyes widening. The weapons seemed to hit an invisible wall, about a half meter away from Naruto's palm, and fell to the ground, harmless.

The villagers that attacked cowered, before they were promptly taken out by the ANBU ruthlessly.

Naruto then chuckled dryly. "Oh, and here's the best part. I already _know _how this is going to go. These old bastards," Naruto said, gesturing to Koharu and Homura, who were shaking in fear,"Decided it would be a stellar idea, since I'm the head of two clans now, to be put into the CRA! Isn't that just _fucking _wonderful?!" He screamed. His friends gasped, all knowing what that meant.

A few girls giggled. Naruto shot them a dirty glare.

Hinata looked up to Naruto in hope. _The CRA? That means...he'll need a wife!_

Sakura looked at the girls in disgust. _Gold-digging whores! _Inner Sakura remarked, huffing.

Naruto scoffed as a few men offered their daughters to him, and jumped off the roof. They all got a good look at his eyes, and when they flared, they back up making a path.

Naruto marched over, grabbed Sasuke and Sakura by the arms, and dragged them away, in the direction of Ichiraku's. He knew that the rest of his comrades were following, but he paid them no heed.

* * *

A/N ack, sorry this took so long to get out. I hit a wall in this fic, and I had trouble implementing the whole CRA fiasco, which I've seen used in a few fics.

Nah, this won't be a harem. I don't like the idea of Naruto being a man whore.

Also, I'll try to upload this fic faster. School is slowing down a bit, so I have more time to write and think up ideas.

I hope you enjoyed, and I hope this wasn't a let down. Next chapter should be up within the week.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: WOO. Finally got this chapter up! Hope you enjoy/hope it doesn't suck!

* * *

The Fourth's legacy dragged his two teammates to the local ramen shack, and promptly slumped into the seat. Sasuke and Sakura eyed him carefully, the big reveal stunning them.

_So he has the Kyuubi within him...god, his life has been so hard. _Sakura thought, frowning. _Plus he's the son of the man who put that thing in him...who does that to their child?_

Sasuke was thinking along the same line. _The dobe...the Kyuubi's container. Who would have thought he would have had such a hard life...so alone. Not to mention his own father...no. Naruto..he's a sacrifice. The Fourth isn't to blame.  
_

"Naruto-kun...here, on the house." Ayame, Teuchi's daughter said quietly, handing him a bowl. Naruto gave her an appreciative smile, before slowly picking at his ramen.

The girl felt bad for her 'little brother'. Not only was he the Kyuubi vessel, which she and her father never gave him flak about, but he was also the son of the man who caused him all of that pain, and he was going to be forced into the CRA. _How can they do that to such a young boy?_

He stared at his ramen, uncharacteristically picking at it. He wasn't angry that his father sealed the Kyuubi within him; he could see that Fourth had no choice. It was either Naruto, or the village's future. The choice was obvious. Naruto was a jinchuuriki; a human sacrifice. And he would be damned if he let his old man down.

He didn't, couldn't, blame the villagers for their blind fear and hatred, either. He disliked them, yes, but he didn't want revenge. Only the top tier shinobi truly knew what a jinchuuriki was._ The old man isn't to blame, either._

In reality, it was only the council. They were the one's who made his life a living hell, and were still continuing to do so.

It was then his thoughts drifted to the CRA, and he groaned out loud, pushing his bowl away and slamming his head down on the table, his forehead protector hitting it with a clang.

Sasuke patted his back, frowning. _The CRA...the thing I barely got out of. To think, Naruto has to go through it, but for two clans..._

"What am I going to do?" Naruto asked, his voice muffled. Sakura grabbed his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. He looked up a little, blushing somewhat, but smiled in appreciation. She returned the gesture, still holding onto his hand, running her thumb along the back of it as he rested his head back down.

* * *

The rest of the rookies soon arrived to the bar, only to see Team 7 there; Naruto with his head on the table, his cloak splayed everywhere, Sasuke patting his back and Sakura holding his hand, squeezing it.

Hinata, who had been talking to Kiba, froze when she saw the two holding hands. An uncharacteristic flare of jealousy lit up the Hyuuga, but she repressed it promptly.

Ino, who had been thinking of taking advantage of Naruto for her own selfish gain, saw the two holding hands and a soft smile appeared on her face, extinguishing those flames of greed and jealousy. _Nah, I wouldn't have a chance anyways. That baka is too in love with forehead girl to give anyone else a chance...and it's looking like she's starting to feel the same. I'm happy for them. _

"Naruto...shit man, are you ok?" Shikamaru asked, walked over to the blonde Kyuubi vessel. It seemed to Team 7 that no one really cared for the Kyuubi being within him. Nor did they think of him any differently, being the Fourth's son. Though, the rookies could clearly see the uncanny resemblance now.

The Nara genius already knew about the Kyuubi's fate, of course. _His birthday is October 10th, he has those whisker marks...plus his chakra levels are out of this world._

Naruto gave him a lazy thumbs up. "M' alright. Sorry for uh...freaking out up there." He said, raising his head a bit. He still didn't notice he was holding Sakura's hand.

The Haruno was blushing slightly. _God...feeling his hand...it feels so right. Wait! What?! Don't I like...Sasuke? _

Sasuke saw his pink-haired teammate blushing, and smirked. _Haha...dobe, it looks like you won't be going into the CRA anytime soon._

"It's no problem." Chouji said in between chips. "I'm surprised though. You're the Fourth's son? I mean, you two _do _look alike. It's just shocking is all." He said. Naruto smirked.

Kiba clapped him on the back. "And hey man, the CRA! You're gonna have tons of chicks after you now!" He said, wagging his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. Naruto groaned.

"Kiba, you idiot, I don't _want _six fucking wives. Six! Can you believe that?" He asked, his rippled eyes flaring. Kiba gulped.

"Why not, Naruto-san? When an alpha seeks to mate, he does so with as many females as he can in order to build up the population." Shino said. Everyone shivered at his brunt analogy.

"I don't care about marriage and all that stuff now, let alone _that_. Besides, one wife is enough for me..." Naruto said. He then noticed he was still holding Sakura's hand, and blushed, promptly muttering an apology and retracting his hand. She blushed too.

"Oh, by the way dude, what's with your eyes?" Kiba asked.

"It's my...dojutsu. The rinnegan." He said. They were all shocked.

"No way...the Sage of the Six Path's eyes, that's what you have?" Shikamaru asked, his eyes wide. Naruto nodded.

"That's where I got all this power from. But that's enough about that...I'm worried about two things. The finals, and that damned CRA. I'm not going to be some mating machine, and like hell I'm marrying some random villager's daughter...there's only one girl I want to marry, anyways.." He said, adding the last part quietly, though they all heard.

"So, Naruto-_chan_, who are you gonna marry? You have to before your 13th birthday, right? Or else you'll be stuck in that program. You better hurry. You know..." Ino said, flipping a bang back. Naruto eyed her cautiously.

"Ino...if you're trying to flirt with me...you can give up." Naruto said carefully. She chuckled.

"Eh, it was worth a shot. Besides..." She said, suddenly glomping Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun is much more attractive then you!" She said cheerfully. Sasuke wasn't pleased.

Naruto sighed in relief. He was thankful that she wouldn't be after him like she was Sasuke.

Sakura was staring into her bowl of ramen in disbelief. Not because Ino flirted with Naruto half-heartedly; she was stunned because for the first time in her life, she didn't feel jealous over her hugging Sasuke.

What floored her even more is that she _was _getting jealous over the looks the Hyuuga heiress was sending her blonde teammate.

Naruto, feeling slightly better because his friends accepted him, promptly inhaled his bowl of ramen at record speeds, his appetite renewed. They all looked at him in awe as he ran through no less than 20 bowls of ramen.

"Ahh! That hit the spot!" He exclaimed, the tension from the past few days loosening a bit. He stood up, throwing a bundle of bills on the table, before turning to his teammates.

"Um. I'm going to go...check out the estate, and some of the scrolls in the library. I'll see you guys later." He said, shooting a quick glance to Sakura. The two blushed slightly when they met each other's gazes, but smiled. Naruto then walked out, his cloak flapping in the wind. Suddenly, his arm was gripped by someone.

He turned around to meet the pale gaze of Hinata Hyuuga. He raised an eyebrow.

"What's up, Hinata?"

"Uh...u-uh...umm...d-do you think...I c-could c-come with you? I-I'm sure y-you'd like s-some company..." She said, blushing furiously. He sighed, and noticed everyone watching their interaction.

He awkwardly patted her head. "Sorry, Hinata. I...want to be alone for this. I'll see you around." He said, before rushing out of the awkward situation that was Hinata Hyuuga. She frowned deeply, the sting of rejection charring her heart. Kiba walked over and patted her on the shoulder, giving her a wide grin.

* * *

Naruto walked over to the Namikaze estate along with Kakashi and the Hokage. They came upon a large door that led into the building.

"Naruto, we have someone we'd like you to meet." Kakashi said, and a white-haired man approached. He was wearing robes, and had a forehead protector with the kanji for 'Oil' on it.

The white-haired man's jaw dropped when he saw Naruto's eyes. "No way...you weren't kidding, sensei. I've only seen two people with those eyes." He said, walking over to the boy. Naruto cocked his head.

"You mean...I'm not the only one?"

The man shook his head, laughing. "No. Naruto, my name is Jaraiya. I'm your godfather." He said. The boy's eyes widened. "Of the Sannin? Awesome!" He exclaimed.

"Now, now, let's get down to buisness." Jaraiya said, grinning at him.

"Naruto, that is a blood seal; only those with the Namikaze-Uzumaki bloodline can open the door." The Hokage said. Naruto nodded, before promptly biting into his nail and swiping the blood across the small seal. It lit up for a moment, before a lock clicked. Naruto turned the doorknob, and the trio entered.

Needless to say, Naruto was agape. The house was _massive_.

"Whoa." He said, eying the main lobby. It was a large foyer; there was a pair of large, curving staircases that lead to the second floor. In between them was a lounge, that had a few couches and a fireplace.

The Hokage led them through the house. They entered a room, which contained Minato's personal office and library, along with a small arena to practice jutsu in. Naruto's eyes widened at all the scrolls; there were countless techniques, ordered alphabetically.

Naruto wandered off, heading towards the R section. He skimmed through the scrolls for 10 minutes, until he finally found what he was looking for.

He took the large scroll, labelled _Rinnegan _and brought it to the desk his father used in the past. The three elder shinobi walked up to him, eyes wide.

"He had a scroll on it?" Kakashi asked. He had always believed the Rinnegan to be real, but only a mutation of the Sharingan.

"It appears so. Minato kept track of everything interesting and powerful in the ninja world. No doubt the infamous 'Eyes of the Sage' would spark his interest." Hiruzen said, tapping his pipe thoughtfully.

Naruto bit his thumb, and swiped the seal on the scroll. It unclasped, and Naruto unraveled it. He began reading it out loud.

"_The Rinnegan. An extremely powerful dojutsu, said to have been used by the fabled 'Sage of the Six Paths'. It hasn't been encountered since, save for Jaraiya-sensei's student Nagato, who the eyes had somehow come to his possession._

_I've gathered and read several scrolls, tablets and folklore about the eyes. Using Jaraiya's experience with the boy, and separating the myths from the truth, I have come up with a rough list of the abilities the Rinnegan offers.  
_

_The first, and most commonly known, is the ability to repel and attract anything, using chakra. Jaraiya-sensei said that at first, Nagato was able to use this ability directly with his palm, but he soon was able to create a field around his body, and repel anything that came close to him. A theory I have is that if the user has enough chakra, they could maintain a constant field of repelling, varying in strength depending on how much energy is put into it.  
_

_The second ability is the 'spawning', or creation, of chakra chains and receivers. Much like Kushina's chains, they can be used to bind and hold almost anything...including a bijuu. The 'downside' to this would be that it causes unbearable pain to whatever is constrained.  
_

_From here on out, it get's obscure. The Sage of the Six Path's was named so for a reason; every ability was a 'path'. He himself was the Seventh Path. Instead of being forced to split his abilities into six forms, he was able to use them all as himself. The 'Seventh path's' ability is the control over life and death.  
_

_In essence, the user can summon a being named the 'King of Hell'. This being can be used to then either consume a soul, or bring one back to the world of the living. Of course, there are limitations to this.  
_

_Other abilities include summoning various beasts, much like the Toad contract, the technique to summon 'mechanized' armor and weaponry which can be used to great effect, and the most mysterious and legendary one; the 'Creation of All Things'.  
_

_Not much is said about this. Legend holds that this 'Creation of All Things' is how the sage brought about the Shinobi's power; he created the very first jutsus, and shared them with the world.  
_

_It is also said that this power helped to form the nine tailed beasts that inhabit our world. Originally, there was one tailed beast; the Jubi, or ten tails. It was a god; it could level mountains, create seas, destroy valleys and grow forests, all within the blink of an eye.  
_

_According to the legend, the Sage sealed the Jubi within himself, becoming the very first Jinchuuriki and creating peace for the world. When the Sage grew old, he had used his power to seperate the beast into 9 smaller ones, each with it's own persona and image.  
_

_This is truly frightening. If what they say is true, then if someone were to gather the tailed beasts some how, they could recreate the Jubi. That kind of power could destroy, control, the world.  
_

_Jaraiya mentioned to me in passing that Nagato had a summon; a special summon that was taught to him by a 'masked man'. According to what Nagato had said, this 'summon' is the empty shell of the Jubi, and can be used to store a bijuu's chakra..._" Naruto finished reading it, his eyes wide.

"Kami...what have I unlocked?" He said, his head reeling. By all rights, if he were to master the dojutsu...he would be a god.

The Hokage's pipe was hanging loosely from his mouth.

"This much power..." He said quietly. Kakashi was agape, while Jaraiya merely had his eyes wide. He had no idea that the eyes could do that much.

"Naruto, I suggest you read through the library for the first half of this month, and train in jutsus you find the other half. There's no telling what else you could find. Minato spent most of his life documenting the shinobi world." Hiruzen said. Naruto nodded.

"Very well. Kakashi-san, let's leave Naruto and Jaraiya to become acquainted with one another." The old Third said. The two promptly poofed out of the house, leaving the Toad sannin and Kyuubi jinchuuriki.

"So...gaki, do you mind if I ask how you got those eyes?" He asked, pulling up a seat and resting his arms on the back of it. He noticed Naruto's expression darken, his rippled eyes brimming with emotion.

"It was the second stage of the Chuunin exams. Me and my team, we were assaulted by this weird snake lady-guy-thing that wanted to kill us...I used some of _his _chakra, but the snake-lady did something that sealed it and knocked me out." He said. Jaraiya's eyes widened. _Orochimaru...are you here? What are you planning?_

"May I see the seal before you continue?" He asked. Naruto nodded, and lifted his orange and blue jacket up, showing off the Fourth's seal with an imperfect 5 finger seal layered onto it.

The toad sannin eyed it carefully, before gathering chakra into his fingertips and jamming them into the seal. Naruto grunted in pain as his white-haired godfather removed Orochimaru's impromptu seal, and it soon vanished.

"There. You should be able to utilize your chakra perfectly, along with _it's _chakra as well. Now, you were saying?" He said as the two sat back down.

"Well, when I woke up I felt different...like something was just waiting to come out. And...I looked outside of the cave I was in...and I saw..." He said, his tone turning dark. His face was contorted into a scowl as he looked up into Jaraiya's eyes.

"These two Oto-nin...they were trying to rape Sakura-chan. When I saw that...something in me snapped. Not like the Kyuubi's chakra usually does. My eyes just...they let me do things I wouldn't have even imagined doing. I killed both of them easily...and that's how I got these eyes." He said. The sannin's eyes widened at how serious he was, and how serious the circumstances were.

He then smirked. "Sakura-_chan _eh?" He said. Naruto blushed, and muttered a 'shut up'. Jaraiya guffawed loudly, slapping the Fourth's legacy on the back before standing up.

"Well, Naruto, I'll be going now. We'll be in touch...I may have some things to show you." He said, before leaving Naruto to his devices.

The blonde sighed as he read over the Rinnegan scroll again. As he read, his thoughts drifted once again back to the CRA. _I have this month to find a girl to marry...or else I get 6, and I'm forced to have kids._

He thought of his pink-haired teammate, and felt the familiar pang of love and loss spark up within him. He palmed his face, grimacing. _The one girl I would actually love to spend the rest of my life with, and she's the one who's out of my reach..._

* * *

After an hour of reading up on dojutsu, Naruto decided he needed a break and walked out of his new home. He sighed deeply, the falling sun lighting up Konoha in an evening glow.

He decided to take a trip to Ichiraku's, and, bounding across the rooftops, proceeded to do so.

He arrived on the building next to the shop, and was going to jump down, when he heard the voice of his female teammate, and her blonde best friend from Team 10.

"I...I don't know, Ino. I mean, I've always lov-no, liked Sasuke-kun...but ever since Naruto saved me from them, it's like a curtain has been drawn, and I can see who he truly is." The voice of Sakura said. Naruto froze when he heard that.

He heard a chuckle. "You sure it's not just because he's all famous and powerful now? Wouldn't be the first time, y'know..." She said. He heard Sakura scoff.

"No...the feeling I get when I'm around him now...it's indescribable. I just feel so happy and _safe_. It's nothing like when I'm with Sasuke-kun; with him it's just giddy excitement, and loads of anticipation."

Naruto's jaw was fully dropped. _Could...could it be?_

"Wow...sounds like you're developed some pretty intense feelings for our favorite blonde baka, eh?" Ino said, teasing. He could practically see Sakura blushing.

"Maybe...but it's not like it matters. He has a whole village full of girls now...he can have anyone. Why would he even choose me?" She said sadly.

Naruto chose that moment to come in. He jumped from the roof, landing in front, and walked calmly into the shop. The owner, Teuchi, noticed him, and smiled.

"Ah! Naruto! Come in, I have a hot bowl of miso pork already cooking for you!" He said, smirking a little when he noticed the tense expressions of the two kunoichi sitting there. Naruto plopped down on the seat next to his pink-haired love, and calmly awaited his bowl. She was blushing furiously, and turned to see the innocent gaze of Naruto, his head cocked to the side.

"Hi, Sakura-chan!" He said, smiling widely. She smiled back, though her face still had a faint pink tint to it.

Ino smirked at her best friend's antics. _Oh yeah...they're gonna be just fine._

"S-so...Naruto...how was...you know..." Sakura said, stammering a bit. Her shoulder-length pink hair was swaying a bit in the breeze, a few locks blowing across Naruto's sensitive whisker marks, causing him to shudder.

"U-uh, it was good. I went to the library, and read Dad's scroll on the Rinnegan..." Their heads perked up at this.

"Oh? And what did he say about it?" Ino asked, her interest peaked. Naruto chuckled.

"If everything that was in there is true...then in a few years, I would be a god. But I'm sure most of it is just myths." He said, taking a large bite of the noodles that Teuchi handed him.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Well, there's a lot of powers that come with the Rinnegan. If what it says is true, then I could have the power to control life or death." He said carefully, causing both of their eyes to widen.

"You're joking..." Ino said. She was starting to _really _wish she had captured Naruto's attention earlier. _But...I'm not going to interfere with him and Forehead. __We finally got our friendship back on track...but, there is one person I'm worried about_. She thought, an image of a stuttering Hyuuga heiress invading her mind.

The trio chatted for another few hours, enjoying their time. Ichiraku's was fairly small, and unpopular, so Naruto's new 'fan club' didn't bother them.

They said their goodbyes, and Naruto headed home, after promising Sakura that he would show her the following day. He looked up to the darkening evening sky, a wistful smile on his face. _Sakura-chan._ He thought, his heart soaring.

He was happy, truly happy, that Sakura was finally recognizing how much he loved her. It was no longer a childhood crush; his actions in the Forest of Death proved that. He would kill, and die, for her. He wanted her happy.

He got to his house, and collapsed on the large bed that was in one of the many rooms. He melted into the mattress. As he slowly fell asleep, only the pink-haired kunoichi on his team was on his mind.


End file.
